Wild ginseng is classified into natural wild ginseng, woods grown ginseng, and wild stimulated ginseng. Natural wild ginseng is naturally growing ginseng in deep mountains. Before the beginning of cultivation of ginseng in Korea, wild ginseng has been gathered and used. However, due to an increasing demand on wild ginseng, resources for wild ginseng have been exhausted and gathering wild ginseng in the nature has become very difficult. Therefore, such a demand could not be satisfied, and thus, cultivating ginseng was tried. From the beginning of cultivation of ginseng, cultivation technologies have been continuously developed. Further, ginseng cultivators have continued to choose individual species of ginseng having superior characteristics and quantities of roots, intentionally or customarily. Both of Korea ginseng currently cultivated and wild ginseng fall within the same species, Panax ginseng. However, cultivated ginseng can be remarkably distinguished from wild ginseng not only in the growth rate but also in morphologies of stem and leaf, and root. Such a distinction resulted from selection of individual species continuously carried out for a long period of time since the cultivation of ginseng was begun. Differences between wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng are as follows. FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematic appearances of wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng, respectively. As shown in the Figures, wild ginseng has slim and long rhizome (1), which is formed one a year; slim and long main root (2) having flavor, the more of which is the better; hard fine roots (3) having high tensile strength; and nodule (on fine roots) (4), which is similar to nodosity. It is gold-colored, tastes sweet and bitter and has flavor. In comparison, cultivated ginseng has short 1-2 layered rhizome (1′); short thick main root (2′); many white fine roots (3′), which are weak and thus, easily torn apart. It has bitter and sweet taste, but no flavor like wild ginseng.
Main chemical ingredients of ginseng are alkaloids, saccharides, organic acids, lipophilic ingredients, nitrogen-containing compounds, vitamins and inorganic ingredients including glycoside (saponins). The most important ingredients for pharmacological effects of ginseng are saponins, and alkaloids whose activity has not yet been clearly verified. A number of kinds of saponins are contained in ginseng, whose representative example is ginsenoside Rb1. Ginsenoside Rb1 has various pharmacological effects: e.g. control of central nerve system; hypnotic, analgesic, sedative and antipyretic effects; stimulation of synthesis of serum proteins; inhibition of degradation of neutral fats, or stimulation of synthesis thereof (insulin-like effect); stimulation of biosynthesis of cholesterol; stimulation of synthesis of RNA; stimulation of secretion of adrenal cortical hormone; improvement of learning memory; and inhibition of eating. Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer has been reported to have effects of nutrition and tonic, excitation of nerve system, stimulation of secretion of adrenal cortical hormone, promotion of sexual functions, heart tonic, decrease in blood glucose, improvement of appetite, anti-anaphylaxis, anti-diuretic, anti-stress, anti-fatigue, promotion of recovery from fatigue, reinforcement of immune functions, etc. However, such pharmacological effects are complex and various, not by a single ingredient.
In contrast, wild ginseng's pharmacological effects have not yet been identified, but is expected to have similar effects to those of cultivated ginseng.
Lycii Fructus is known to have effects of nutrition and tonic, promotion of regeneration of liver cells, improvement of liver functions, and clearance of eyes. Cnidii rhizoma has an anti-blood stagnation effect, and thus, is used for sedation, the therapy of anemia and headache. Angelicae gigantis Radix has effects of complementation of blood and tonic, and activation of blood, and thus, is used for therapy of woman diseases from blood circulation disorders. Therefore, a mixture of the above ingredients has a high calorie and effects as a heath supplement, which has not yet been experimentally verified. Particularly, ginseng has been extensively studied for its ingredients. However, because wild ginseng (natural wild ginseng), distinguished from cultivated ginseng, is very expensive and has limited quantities, it has not yet been sufficiently studied for its ingredients. Moreover, a composition or formulation containing wild ginseng as a principal agent has never been developed, since wild ginseng has been taken raw or in a soup boiled down. That is, a nutritious tonic agent containing wild ginseng as a principal agent has never been manufactured and marketed.
On the other hand, the physiological and biochemical mechanism by which the body feels fatigue has been already known. Some known methods for evaluating fatigue are “Forced Swimming Test”, measuring swimming and rest times in animals, and “Stimulation Unit of Activity (SUA33) Test” expressed as a dose of compound needed to extend the period of time of motion by 33%, in the time of walking on a rope. However, the above methods are not desirable experimental models because of large variations among individual animals. Therefore, it has been needed to construct a new model for measurement of an anti-fatigue effect.